‘Movember’ Laser Engraving Leather Coasters

For our first instalment of a new monthly showcase, we are focusing on laser engraving leather.

Leather is a timeless material that is often associated with the vintage market. As trends have reverted back towards a more ‘old fashioned’ look, we are finding an increasing number of consumer brands choosing to engrave leather as their choice. This material helps instil a rustic but quality feel to brand, often falling under the alcohol or fashion markets.

Lasering leather is a difficult perfection. There is an extremely small margin of acceptance where the mark creates a dark enough contrast to stand out, while not burning the leather. As leather is animal hide, it responds differently to more conventional materials such as wood or metal. Leather tends to blister instead of char and as such finding that perfect balance is quite precarious.

It’s not always the laser which effects the mark. Storage, preparation and finishing are almost as imperative to the process. We store all leather in rolls - this makes it harder to keep flat under the laser, but by keeping the leather rolled we keep it tight and avoid creasing – It’s easier to flatten than remove creases. As leather is a rustic material, there is not too much to the cleaning process which impacts the final look. We avoid all cleaning fluids and simply clean any ‘soot’ with a dry cotton cloth. Depending on the depth, we may also use a blast of air.

Knowing what particular settings need to be used for the various leather types, thicknesses and finishes are all a result of being an industry leader in laser engraving.